The Good Stuff: The Cohiba Behike (or “Tribal Chief) was once deemed the most expensive cigar in the world. I’m not entirely sure when the original release was, but I can tell you the re-release happened this year (2010) during the XII Festival del Habano. Along with the re-release came a dramatic price drop. Although the Behike price has dropped, paying $40+ a stick for a cigar isn’t something I do often. I have seen these cigars for sale ranging from $30 all the way up to $90 a peice. Of course size plays a big role in the price tag. The Behike is composed of Cuban “Medio Tiempo” leaves wich are taken from the top leaves of each tobacco plant. These leaves are said to absorb the most sun therefore produce a unique flavor profile. Needless to say this is probably the main reason why the Behike’s are so rare and will only be produced in very small quantities each year.

Size: 4.75 x 52  –  Wrapper: Cuban  –  Binder/Filler: Cuban

Prelight: The Cohiba Behike is a short, stubby, wider ring gauged cigar. The wrapper is composed of a medium to light brown wrapper which is extremely consistent in color, and silky enough to shine at almost every ray of light it comes across. The cap of the Behike is a double capped semi-pig tail that bleeds seamlessly into the body of the cigar.  There are quite a few smaller veins running the length of the body, but far less than most Cuban cigars I have seen. There are no soft spots at all and the body of the cigar is very firm to the touch giving a ton of resistance when compressed between my fingers. The band is very similar to the yellow and black Cohiba band, but instead of the main crest being the brand name, it is embossed with a gold “BEHIKE” stamp along with a textured hologram of the Cohiba Head logo. At the price each one of these cigars run I am glad to see the extra hologrammed precautions used to ensure authenticity. The back of band has yet another hologram. This one is composed of a ton of smaller “COHIBA” logos along with the head. Above this hologram is the gold COHIBA logo along with another logo as well as the yellow “Habana, Cuba” emblem we are all used to.

The Behike gives off a very slight grassy/earthy aroma from the wrapper which is only more pronounced at the foot with a little touch of spice. The cap cut off clean and easy using my Palio Double Bladed cutter. The cold draw seems a bit tight, actually very tight. I really hope this doesn’t transpose into the smoking experience. The flavors that I picked up in the cold draw is a very starchy, zest flavor backed by grassy and earthy notes. I don’t know what it is but almost every Cuban cigar I have ever had has started off with an almost saltiness that is coming off of the cap of the wrapper.

First Smoke: Yup, saltiness still there. Luckily it was only evident into the first couple of draws before simmering down. After that the flavors really start to take off. The first third gives off a very mild smoke with the flavor profile composed mostly of softer cedar and earthly flavors backed by a very nice spice and even just a dash of pepper that is only evident enough to tease the tip of my tongue. The draw, yup, as expected very tight. I wouldn’t say it was plugged but I really wish it wasn’t as tight as it is. The draw, once it hits me is semi-thick and produces a decent amount of solid white smoke. The Behike does give off a hell of a lot of stationary smoke. At times you can see the oils burning off the wrapper. Very pleasant in scent as well with cedar and spice being the main aromas. Straight out of the gate a large wave started down the burline. This raised quite some concern but amazingly by the end of the first third the Behike managed to correct itself leaving behind an almost perfect burline (amazing for a Cuban at least), with a thicker edge that left behind a trail of darker grey, flaky ash.

Halfway There: The pepper and spice really mellowed out into the second third of the Behike. The cedar and earthy tones are still there in full force but the entire experience has turned to a much more creamy, softer one. I honestly though that, judging by the first third, that this would be a much bolder, harsh smoke. But as of the second third its been more of a smooth flavor bomb. The draw really started opening up (thank god) into the second third and the ash was beautiful for Cuban tobacco. A lot more compressed and compact than I am used to. The burnline is running great and I am only feeling a slight bit of nicotine from this stick.

Finish: Wow, holy crap did the spice and pepper make a comeback and its making for a totally badass retrohale!  The main flavors have to be the pepper and spice mixture with the cedar and earthy tones making only subtle appearances. The saltiness is still there, but not as evident as the first and second thirds. The burnline has been near perfect all the way through and the ash was amazing for a Cuban cigar. I really started to feel a bit of the nicotine into the final third. It wasn’t enough to knock me off my feet but it’s definitely in there. After all was said and done the Behike took me a little over an hour and a half to smoke. That was WAY longer than I expected. The tighter draw may have had something to do with that but the tobacco used in this cigar really burned a lot slower than I anticipated.

Overview: I really wanted to hate this cigar. The price, the exclusiveness, the marketing behind it, all in my corner. Did I ? Absolutely not. This is one hell of a cigar and sets the bar WAY high for any type of future Cuban cigar manufacturing. This is an extremely complex, yet very well balanced smoke with enough changeups to keep anyone entertained. It was mild/medium with just enough extra punch to keep you on your toes. Flawless construction, excellent burn, with a great flavor profile. If this cigar wasn’t so damn expensive it would be in my everyday line up. I do see myself keeping a few of these on hand though for those “special” occasions.

Pairing: The Cohiba Behike was paired with another one of my regular rotation beers, Belhaven’s Scottish ale. Belhaven’s Scottish Ale is a very malty, hoppy ale with a creamy fruity finish. At 5.2% this beer was a perfect pairing for the Behike. It married up very well with the smoother creamy notes in the cigar and produced a nice balance once the cigar’s spice really took off.  This ale would go perfect with just about any cigar. The Behike would work very well with any ale, IPA, water, coffee, or tea.

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The Good Stuff: (taken from the 13th Floor Website)

“Established in 2009, 13th Floor Cigars was created to bring a new and innovative brand to market while delivering a premium Cuban style smoke. Our cigars are hand crafted in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana by some of the most experienced rollers in the industry. We use only the finest tobacco and our cigars are carefully inspected to ensure quality and consistency. Our first line, Foundation, has been met with rave reviews from the most experienced aficionados to those who enjoy an occasional cigar. We are hard at work bringing 13^th Floor to fine tobacconists, cigar lounges and clubs nationwide.

Why 13^th Floor? What is the meaning behind the name?

We get this question a lot and I love to explain the meaning behind our brand. The 13^th Floor represents a place that is very special to my family and I. It’s a place that I have visited since I was young, a place that I waited to go every year, a place that I could not wait to put the key in the elevator and get up there to look out over the Pacific Ocean and watch the waves roll in. A place that we shared some of my greatest memories growing up and I am now able to share with my own family. There is the legend and superstition of the 13^th Floor, does it exist, is it re-numbered, is it skipped? In our crazy pace of life, it’s easy to “skip” over or “re-number” our priorities to keep the pedal down and engines roaring.  Enjoying a great cigar is a quick relaxing transport to that special place at least for a brief period of time.”

Size: Robsuto  5 x 50  –   Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra  –  Binder:  Ecuadorian  –  Filler: Nicaraguan

Prelight: The Thirteenth Floor cigar is a wonderfully constructed, consistently light brown complected cigar. There are only a few spots of a darker brown color near the foot of the cigar. Ecuadorian wrapped cigars always scare me a bit due to their delicate nature, but this cigar is pretty sturdy and tough. The cigar is tightly packed and give a nice little bounce when squeezed. There are no soft spots, and only one larger vein running the course of the cigar’s silky body. The Thirteenth Floor Foundation is then topped off with a beautiful, rounded triple cap. The biggest stand out item n this cigar has to be it’s band. I am a huge fan of all Thirteenth Floor’s more untraditional marketing and the band pairs in well. The Band is chrome and accented red with bit of black. The Thirteenth Floor crest is embedded in an almost 3D bed of leaves, accented by two small shields with two white keys on them. I’m assuming these keys are then ones mentioned in the story about the brand.

The wrapper gives off a very light cedar and spice aroma and a more pronounced cedar and tobacco scent with a bit of spice from the foot of the cigar. The Thirteenth Floor Foundation cut clean using m double bladed Palio Cutter. The cold draw emitted by this cigar gives off a very light, creamy ginger flavor with hints of tobacco and other spices.

First Smoke: The Thirteenth Floor Foundation lit up with easy under my triple flame butane torch. The first flavors I was greeted with was a very creamy cedar flavor, matched up with soft spice and just a kick of pepper. The Thirteenth Floor Foundation produces an extremely effortless draw that produces a fair of amount of heavy, thick smoke. The burnline started off with one big wave that shot out like a race horse while the rest of the ash played catch up. After about an inch in the burnline corrected itself and started to burn dead even. The ash produced is a very bright grey and tightly packed with only a few flakes and held on just over two inches before giving way.

Halfway There: Into the second third of this Thirteenth Floor Foundation I find it intriguing just how smooth this cigar is. I usually find myself only retro haling a few times each cigar, but I can’t stop doing it with this cigar. The retrohale is producing an amazing crisp cedar prime that really helps bring out the smooth flavors of the Foundation. The main flavors are a strong cedar, spice, and what I could best describe as a heavily creamed coffee. Burn line is perfect, and at this point I am feeling no nicotine kick at all.

Finish: The last third definitely picked up a bit in body. Not enough to really feel much nicotine, but the ramp up was there. The creamy flavors began to take a back seat to the tobacco and spice flavors while the cedar still remained the main contender. The Thirteenth Floor Foundation Robusto only took me about an hour to smoke from start to finish. There was no harshness into the final end but the cigar did burn slightly hotter than I expected seeing how I really took my time to smoke this guy. Outside of the initial waves, the burnline stayed dead even the entire time and there was no need for any type of touch ups or relights. And the big, hefty looking band…Came off with ease. Gotta love that.

Overview: Again I am really impressed with yet another lighter shade cigar. The Thirteenth Floor Foundation has just enough complexity to satisfy my needs, while the creamy experience and balanced flavors made for an enjoyable smoke. The best part about this cigar has to be the retrohale. Worst part? The cigar burned way too fast and kept me wanting more. This is an ideal cigar for any novice, or seasoned smoker. If you are interested in finding out more about Thirteenth Floor Cigars you can visit their site here, Facebook here, twitter here, or you can visit our sponsor Bonita Smoke Shop to place an order for a few of these bad boys.

Pairing: I decided to go a little bold and pair this cigar with a favorite of mine, Belhaven’s Wee Heavy. I say I went a bit bold because the samples I smoke previous to this review were so rich and smooth I would normally pair it with coffee, tea, a nice tripel, or even a light Pilsner. Belhaven’s Wee Heavy is an in your face, spicy, fruity, woodsy Scottish Ale. And quite frankly, the decision worked out well. The fruits, malt, and spice were just enough to really pull the spicy tones from the creamy cedar of the cigar.

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